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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315548">Unfiended</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/combatfaerie/pseuds/combatfaerie'>combatfaerie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fiend Zoned [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World Wrestling Entertainment</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Don't copy to another site, F/M, Firefly Fun House - Freeform, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Possession</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:13:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/combatfaerie/pseuds/combatfaerie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to FIEND ZONED and CIRCLE OF FIENDS. Becky Lynch's mysterious disappearance was never explained, but she seemed to be on the path to recovery—at least until she randomly attacks one of her dearest friends. To get answers—and to get Becky back once and for all—Seth Rollins is willing to deal with The Fiend himself, but is it too late?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Becky Lynch | Rebecca Knox &amp; Seth Rollins | Tyler Black, Becky Lynch | Rebecca Knox/Seth Rollins | Tyler Black</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fiend Zoned [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>Not if, but when.</i> A foreboding feeling had been weighing Seth down all day, and he couldn't figure out why. When he saw Bayley heading towards him, face taut with barely contained panic, he was pretty sure <i>when</i> had just become <i>now</i>. "Hey, Bayley. What's up?"</p>
<p>"Hey. Um . . . Is Becky okay?" Bayley tugged at the cuffs of her sleeves, lowering her voice as she looked down the corridor.</p>
<p><i>Maybe it's not me,</i> Seth thought. <i>Maybe it's the day.</i> It wasn't one of the major four pay-per-views, but most of the titles were still on the line, so it was bound to be a big night. "Yeah. I mean, I think so. As okay as she's been after . . . everything." With no official answer as to what had happened to Becky, all her friends could do was keep an eye on her and watch for relapses. So far, they had managed to keep the worst of it from her family, who just thought she was stressed about work. "Why?" He tried to keep Bayley, Charlotte, and Sasha updated on any strange episodes Becky had, but it was getting more difficult to do since Becky had figured out that everyone was keeping tabs on her. Now she was doing anything she could to stop them from sharing information about her, and Seth had to change his phone passcode almost daily to make sure she couldn't intercept his texts.</p>
<p>Bayley wouldn't quite meet his gaze, which was never a good sign. She was like a younger sister to him and they had been friends since their NXT days, so they didn't have a lot of secrets between them. "Do you have a minute?" she said at last.</p>
<p>"Sure." Seth had been on his way to the men's locker room, but he shouldered his bag instead and followed Bayley, worried by the tension that made her shoulders hunch. When she headed into the women's locker room and held the door open for him, he stopped on the public side of the threshold. "Um, unless it's an emergency, I shouldn't—"</p>
<p>"It's just me and Sash and Charlie," Bayley said, voice curiously flat. "I asked all the other girls to stay away for a little while."</p>
<p>Seth quickly did the math in his head and came up one name short. "Where's Becky?"</p>
<p>Bayley beckoned him forward. "Come on. We don't want anyone else to see."</p>
<p><i>That doesn't bode well,</i> Seth thought as he stepped into the women's locker room. It wasn't his first time: during his indie days, if a promotion didn't have any female wrestlers, they used both locker rooms interchangeably, and in the early days of dating Becky, they had often snuck away wherever they could grab a few minutes of privacy. "What's wr—"</p>
<p>The answer to his curtailed question was sitting on one of the benches. Charlotte's face was pinched and unnaturally flushed, tears streaming down her cheeks as Sasha tried to comfort her; her breath was coming in huge gulps, and she kept trying to grab her throat. "Don't," she sobbed. "Please don't. I don't want her to get in trouble."</p>
<p>"Char, you won't get her in trouble. We promise." Sasha looked up from smoothing back Charlotte's hair to give Seth a grim look. </p>
<p>Seth was already coming to some sickening conclusions on his own, but he knew he needed to hear the whole story. "What happened? What did Becky do?"</p>
<p>Charlotte shook her head firmly, spraying a mist of tears over Sasha's arms. "It's not her fault. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Please don't tell anyone." She hunched forward so her hair fell over her shoulders.</p>
<p>"Roman was walking by when it happened," Bayley said quietly, "so I called him in to help. I came to get you as soon as I could." Nodding at Sasha, she swept Charlotte's hair out of the way while Sasha held both of Charlotte's hands down in her lap. "Come on, Charlie. He needs to see."</p>
<p>Though she resisted at first, Charlotte eventually straightened up, tears dripping off her chin, and let Seth look at her neck. Livid red and purplish lines spanned either side, and it took him a moment to recognize them as finger-shaped bruises. "Becky . . . did that?" None of it made sense: Becky and Charlotte had been best friends for years, ring rivalries aside, and Charlotte had been instrumental in helping bring Becky back from the brink.</p>
<p>Sasha let go of Charlotte's hands and handed Seth a phone. "I asked the girls if they would make a happy birthday video for my brother, so I was recording," she explained, queueing up the video for him. "Everything was fine, and then Becky just. . . ."</p>
<p>Charlotte started sobbing again, shaking horribly, and Bayley wrapped her arms around her friend. "Just watch it, Seth. The volume's off, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, but . . . he should hear it too. He needs to know." Tapping Seth on the shoulder, Sasha headed into the empty showers. "Keep the volume low," she said softly, adjusting a few settings on her phone before handing it back to him. </p>
<p>The video started off with Bayley and Sasha doing a happy birthday rap. Then Sasha spoke into the camera for a few moments, telling her brother how much she loved him. The next scene was of the other three Horsewomen sitting side by side on the bench, smiling and waving—until Becky's eyes seemed to go yellow. Her hands locked around Charlotte's throat while Bayley was still talking, and then everyone seemed to be yelling. Charlotte managed a few half-screams for help before the pressure of Becky's fingers was too much to bear. Sasha dropped her phone as she rushed forward to help, hollering at Becky to let go. Bayley was doing the same until Seth could hear the door being flung open, crashing into the opposing wall, and then a heart-rending <i>Roman! We need help!</i></p>
<p>And through it all, guttural and low, was Becky bellowing <i>Let me out! Let me out!</i></p>
<p>Seth started to watch the video a second time just to make sure he hadn't missed anything, but Sasha reached over and paused it just as the screaming started. "It doesn't get any better. Trust me: I've already gone over it trying to find . . . something. Anything. Some hint of what triggered Becky to snap like that. And there's nothing." Sasha took her phone back and shut it off. "I know this sounds horrible, but I'm almost glad I was recording because now we have proof. We can show Hunter—"</p>
<p>"Wait." Seth's lungs felt like they were frosting over, making each breath sharp and shallow. "Let me talk with her first—"</p>
<p>"<i>No.</i>" Sasha's dark eyes were flinty with determination. "Seth, I love Becky. You know that. I'm not looking to get her in shit. But this is <i>serious</i>. We're lucky that Bayley and I were both there and that Roman was so close. What would have happened if Becky was alone with Charlotte—or anyone, really—and snapped like that? She needs help."</p>
<p><i>No one knows what she needs,</i> Seth thought dully, <i>because we still don't know what happened.</i> He still believed Bray Wyatt and his creepy Firefly Fun House puppets had something to do with Becky's mysterious disappearance, but nothing had ever been proven. Becky had been improving in the past few weeks—or so he thought—which made such a violent outburst even more worrisome. After taking a deep breath, he went back into the changing area, where Charlotte was leaning against Bayley. Charlotte had stopped crying, but her shoulders still flinched at odd intervals and her hands twitched in her lap. "Hey, Charlotte." Seth kept his voice low as he crouched in front of her. "I'm really sorry. I thought she was getting better," he added, squeezing her hands, "so if I missed a warning sign. . . ."</p>
<p>Bayley patted his shoulders. "I don't think you did. It was so sudden—" She shook her head violently. "I think we were all stunned."</p>
<p>As Seth stood up, Sasha motioned him close. "She can't wrestle like that," she whispered. "Her gear won't hide it, and the make-up crew can only do so much."</p>
<p>Seth nodded. "Take her to Hunter," he suggested, reaching for the door. "He'll know which doctors can be trusted to be discreet." When Charlotte started shaking her head frantically, Seth went back and sat beside her. "Charlotte, you have to get checked out. You could be hurt."</p>
<p>"She didn't mean it," Charlotte pleaded. "It . . . it wasn't <i>her</i>, and I know that. I don't want her to get in trouble. . . ."</p>
<p>"None of us do, Charlie," Bayley assured her. "But we all love Becky, right? And we know she needs help. The next time . . . the next time the person she attacks might be alone. Or it could be out in the ring, where we can't protect her at all."</p>
<p>Standing up, Seth shut his eyes. It was times like this where he almost wished he prayed. "Take her to Hunter," he repeated grimly. "Show him the video. He needs to know. I'll go look for Roman and Becky." As he opened the locker room door, surprising a few lighting technicians passing by, Seth tried to fortify himself. His normal routine on a pay-per-view night was to run through his match and then hang out with Becky for a bit, wishing her good luck when they had to part ways. Now he wasn't sure what he would find when he caught up with her. It was a type of fear he thought he wouldn't have to endure again, and it was somehow worse the second time around.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>Air.</i> There were a lot of things Seth needed in that moment—Becky, normalcy, for Becky to be herself again—but fresh air sounded like a good start. When one of the roadies mentioned seeing Becky and Roman head towards an exit, Seth thought he might be able to accomplish two things at once: find Becky and clear his head a little bit. He would have preferred to do the latter before the former, but he knew time wasn't on his side. Bayley and Sasha would be—or at least should be—taking Charlotte to see Hunter and get medical help, so if he wanted any unguarded answers from Becky, he would need to get them quickly.</p><p>Luckily, between Becky's bright hair and Roman's impressive height, they weren't hard to spot. They were sitting on a parking barrier by one of the equipment trucks, the night cool enough that their breath rose in foggy curls. Normally Becky would be shivering if it was cold enough to see her breath, but she seemed curiously fine with the chill. As Seth neared, Roman shot him a weighty look. "Hey, man. Becks and I thought we'd get some air." His voice reminded Seth of the tone people used with wild animals they were trying to calm or around children when they were discussing something the kids weren't supposed to know. </p><p>Seth glanced down at Becky and tried to do a quick assessment without being obvious. Her eyes still held a hint of amber, but he thought that could just be a trick of the parking lot lighting. She kept picking at her nails one by one, starting with the pinky and working her way to her thumb before starting over again, so he crouched in front of her and held her hands. "Hey, babe. Everything okay?"</p><p>Becky nodded easily. "Yeah. Roman just asked if I wanted some air." She glanced up at Roman, who was standing within arm's reach, and smiled. "I wasn't sure where you were, or we would have asked you to join us."</p><p>A small shudder tightened Seth's shoulders. After all the mess with the Firefly Fun House, innocent phrases like <i>join us</i> had become inexplicably ominous. "I ran into Bayley," he continued slowly, watching Becky's face for any sign of a shift in mood. "She said you and the other Four Horsewomen were making a Happy Birthday video for Sasha's brother."</p><p>Becky nodded again. "Bayley and Sasha did a Happy Birthday rap for him and then Sasha left him a message. . . ." Her eerie calm started to falter then, and she frowned as she looked down at one of the parking lot's faded painted lines.</p><p>Seth looked up at Roman, who shrugged helplessly. "Did you and Char hang out after? I know you haven't seen her for a while." He eased closer and squeezed her hands gently.</p><p>"Sasha left him a message," Becky repeated, nodding as if confirming something with herself.</p><p>"And then what?" Seth ran his thumbs across her knuckles slowly, more to steady himself than to help her refocus.</p><p>Becky's eyebrows dipped, eyes darting back and forth as she thought. "Sasha left him a message. . . ." She started blinking jerkily, putting Seth in mind of a scratched CD, unable to move past the point of damage. Then she lurched forward so suddenly that only Roman's quick reflexes kept her from falling to the asphalt. "Then Roman came and asked if I wanted to get some fresh air before the show." She glanced up at him as if looking for confirmation. </p><p>Seth and Roman shared a look over Becky's head, interrupted by Seth's phone. He pulled it from his pocket and grimaced when he saw Hunter's number on the screen. "Give me a minute. I need to take this." As he turned away, he saw Roman sit beside Becky and start talking about his kids.  "Hey, Hunter, listen—"</p><p>"No, Rollins. <i>You</i> listen." Hunter's tone was all business. "Where's Becky?"</p><p>He briefly thought about bringing up the fact that he and Becky weren't attached at the hip, but he knew that was a moot point. "I'm with her right now. Roman brought her outside for some fresh air—"</p><p>"Inside. Now. My office." Hunter's curt orders were punctuated by a harsh beep as he disconnected.</p><p>Seth took a deep breath before turning back to Becky and Roman. "Hey. That was Hunter." He shot Roman a quick look before continuing. "He wants to talk to us before the show, so we should probably head in. . . ."</p><p>Roman wrapped his arm around Becky's shoulders and squeezed. "C'mon, Irish. Good thing you're short: You can hide behind one of us and Hunter probably won't even realize you're there." He stood and offered his hand to her, but Becky seemed transfixed by the darkness beyond the dented panel of the fence. "Becks? Something wrong?"</p><p>Becky stood on her own and shook her head. "I think I forgot to wish Sasha's brother a happy birthday." When she looked up at Seth, her gaze was achingly innocent. "Do you think she'd do another take?"</p><p>A chill crept down Seth's spine that had nothing to do with the weather. "We can ask her. But we should probably see what Hunter wants first. You know he hates to be kept waiting."</p><p>The three of them headed inside then, Seth and Roman exchanging fraught looks while Becky kept glancing back at the dented fence; Seth had to grab Becky's elbow so she didn't tumble over one of the parking barriers. There was no way she could wrestle safely tonight, and with no answers for tomorrow and beyond, Seth started to worry that he might not lose Becky to another guy or even his own insecurities, but to herself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room Hunter used as an office obviously changed from venue to venue but he always had a way of making the space look utterly his own. Part of it was his stature, but it was mostly his energy—the essence of power with veins of calculating shrewdness and unwavering precision. This particular office was larger than most, but as soon as Seth and Roman led Becky inside, it suddenly felt like a vise. Glancing down at the desk, Seth spotted Hunter's cell phone, the screen paused on the pre-attack portion of Sasha's birthday video for her brother, and Seth gritted his teeth. There was no possible way this could go well.</p>
<p>To his surprise, though, Hunter flipped the phone screen-side down and stood. "Roman, why don't you and Becky wait outside for a couple minutes? I'd like  to talk to Seth first."</p>
<p>Roman gave a small nod, looping a friendly arm around Becky's shoulders. "Sure thing. C'mon, Becks. I've got some new pictures of the kids on my phone I wanted to show you. Trips will call us when he's ready." Becky resisted at first, asking why they couldn't have stayed out in the parking area if Hunter didn't need them right away, but Roman steered her out of the office and shut the door behind them.</p>
<p>Hunter pointed down at his phone, not taking his gaze off Seth. "You've already seen that, I presume?"</p>
<p>Seth nodded, pressing a fist to his mouth. He had covered up a lot of things for Becky in the early days of her recovery and he knew Hunter had too, but there were limits, and this went far beyond them. "Yeah. I . . . don't know. I honestly don't know what happened. I wish I did. She can have great days—so many good days in a row that I almost forget anything was wrong—and then she'll zone out and stare at the wall for an hour. I don't know what to do."</p>
<p>"Zoning out is one thing, Rollins." Hunter sat back down and motioned for Seth to sit as well. "We can explain that away in a match by feeding a line or two to commentary; she's too unpredictable for us to add it to a storyline. But if she does something like that out in the ring?" He tapped the back of his phone for emphasis. "What if she attacked her tag team partner or the referee—or a fan at ringside?"</p>
<p>"I <i>know</i>." Seth struggled to keep focussed, keep calm. Becky was his fiancee, practically his wife, and in a matter of weeks she had gone from his best friend to a complete mystery. It made him feel like a failure, like all the worry and indecision and criticism they had endured early on in their relationship was going to win. "Trust me, I'm open to suggestions."</p>
<p>"I'm glad you said that." Then Hunter grabbed his phone, closed the video, and tapped the screen a few times. Mere moments later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in."</p>
<p>Seth's first thought was Roman, which didn't make sense; it would have been so easy to simply stand, open the door, and call him in. Hunter also wouldn't risk bringing Charlotte in so soon after Becky had snapped, and Bayley and Sasha were probably still helping Charlotte calm down. "Hey, Hunter. Hey, Seth." The Southern drawl wasn't as pronounced as it had been during the Wyatt Family days, but that voice was unmistakable. "What's going on?"</p>
<p>"You can <i>help</i>," Seth growled, "by either getting the fuck out of here or telling us what you did to Becky." He wrapped his fingers around the chair arms so he couldn't hit Bray, and the wood groaned in response. <i>I called him. I called him and I told him Becky was back and I apologized to him.</i> It all seemed so surreal now.</p>
<p>Hunter got up and moved to stand in between Seth and Bray. "Seth, calm down and listen. Bray's only here to help."</p>
<p>"Don't tell me to calm down!" Seth snapped, standing up. He glared at Hunter first. "You don't get to tell me to calm down after my wife just tried to choke out her best friend. And you," he added, turning his angry gaze on Bray, "you just stay the fuck away from her. You can claim all you want that you didn't do anything, but I know you did—"</p>
<p>Seth swore he caught a glint of malice in Bray's eyes, but of course by the time Hunter looked over at him, it was gone. "Seth, we've been through this. Whatever trauma Becky's been through, she needs stability, simplicity, and honesty." Bray's voice was cloyingly concerned. "Calling her your wife when you're not married yet could be confusing to her—"</p>
<p>If Hunter had been even an inch further away, Seth would have managed to get his hands around Bray's throat. As it was, he got a handful of shirt instead. "Rollins, stop it!" Hunter bellowed, wrapping both arms around him and tugging him back. Bray was infuriatingly calm, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "Do you want me to suspend you <i>and</i> Becky?"</p>
<p><i>This is for Becky,</i> Seth kept telling himself. There wasn't much he wouldn't do if it meant keeping her safe, but that didn't make it any easier. "Fine. Fine." He stepped back and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. This . . . this is about Becky. If you can help, then I'm all for it. I don't know what else to do." It was hard to admit and not just because Bray was there, but this wasn't a time for inflated egos and toxic pride. "What can I do to help?"</p>
<p>"Has she talked to anyone?" Bray asked, keeping his gaze on Seth. "A professional, I mean? Family and friends are great and all, but therapists are going to be more objective."</p>
<p>Before Seth could reply, Hunter cleared his throat, keeping himself between Seth and Bray. "We had her talk with a therapist we've used before. It was a condition she had to meet before we would clear her to compete." Then Hunter shrugged. "Obviously the therapist couldn't tell me what was said. Patient confidentiality and all that. But she confirmed that Becky did attend all her appointments and that they discussed her disappearance." Once he seemed confident that Seth and Bray weren't going to tear each other apart, he went back to his chair.</p>
<p>Seth gave a small nod. "She always seemed a little unsettled after those sessions, but mostly in a good way, if that makes any sense. Like she was moving past something that was uncomfortable."</p>
<p>"It's possible that things just . . . got mixed up in her head, you know?" Hunter sat back and stroked his beard. "The two of you were feuding, so maybe Becky's brain did some . . . creative editing. She had a trauma and didn't know how to process it, so her brain picked something she could fathom—the Firefly  Fun House—and used that as a mask."</p>
<p>Bray kept his hands in a placating position. "I'm happy to help however I can. Becky's always been kind to me, even when I didn't necessarily deserve it. But I honestly don't know what good you think I can do—"</p>
<p>"No puppets," Seth said firmly. Becky hadn't been able to even talk to Paige for weeks, spooked by her resemblance to the Abby the Witch doll, and anything with grey fur made her flinch. "No masks. No gimmicks. And I get to be present." Glancing over at Hunter, Seth relented. <i>This is for Becky,</i> he reminded himself again. <i>Get your ego out of the way.</i> "I'm there or Roman is. I want someone there who's a friend, but not. . . ."</p>
<p>"Not someone she's likely to overpower?" Hunter stood. "I had a room cleared out farther back. We'll all fit, as all as we all promise to get along. I just want hear to what Becky will say to Bray." He looked back and forth between Bray and Seth. "Is that going to be a problem?"</p>
<p>Bray widened his eyes and shook his head. "No problems here. I just want to help."</p>
<p><i>One of the gloves still says HURT, though</i>, Seth thought, trying to keep his frustration off his face. At last he nodded, standing slowly so his movement wouldn't be construed as a threat. "No problems from me. I just want Becky to get better."</p>
<p>"Good. We're on the same page then." Hunter gestured to the door. "Let's get Becky and Roman and get this mess sorted. Seth, after you."</p>
<p>Seth rolled his eyes. "Hunter, I'm not going to—"</p>
<p>"<i>After you.</i> Hunter's tone brooked no argument, so Seth stepped out of the office first. Becky and Roman were sitting on some equipment trunks, and Seth was glad they were both engrossed by the photos on Roman's phone. It gave him an extra moment to compose himself so Becky wouldn't see the frustration in his eyes—or the fear.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room was more than large enough for five people, even when those five people all happened to be professional wrestlers—in Hunter's case, mostly retired—with impressive physiques. Once they had all filed in, though, the space seemed small, almost oppressive, and Seth found himself getting antsy the moment the door was closed. The room looked like it was mostly used for storage, judging from the random stacks of boxes that lined the walls, but there were enough chairs for all of them and just enough space between them to ensure that if Becky had another episode, someone would be able to intercept her before she could do too much damage. Hunter pulled three chairs closer to the wall and motioned to Seth and Roman. "We're just observing, remember," he said, looking pointedly at Seth. "I talked to Bray beforehand and he knows not to ask about anything personal." Then he let out a long breath. "You're sure you're okay to do this, Rollins? Reigns and I can handle it."</p>
<p>"She's my . . . fiancee." Seth caught himself just in time, even though the word felt flavourless and foreign on his tongue after calling Becky his wife for so long. "I want to help her. I won't interrupt; you have my word."</p>
<p>Hunter held his gaze for a long moment. "Okay." Then he gestured for Bray and Becky to sit.</p>
<p>Seth's chest felt uncomfortably tight as he watched Becky sit on one of the chairs, the executive office type that always seemed to be casualties during in-ring contract signings. She drew her legs up onto the seat and swivelled the chair experimentally from side to side. "What's with all the fuss?" she asked, turning briefly to face Hunter as she twined her fingers together, picking at her nails. "Roman has his match soon and—"</p>
<p>"Don't worry, Becky. We won't be long." Bray's voice was strangely soothing. "How are you feeling? I haven't seen you since I was traded to SmackDown." Bray's eyes flicked briefly over to Seth.</p>
<p>"I'm good." Suspicion drew the two simple words out like taffy. "What's going on?"</p>
<p>Bray kept his voice casual and calm. "Nothing. I just wanted to talk." Then he gave her a warm smile. "Want to see some new pictures of Knash? I haven't been posting many online lately; people had been giving Jojo a hard time, so. . . ." He pulled out his phone, swiped the screen a few times, and turned it towards Becky, glancing at Hunter as he did so. </p>
<p>Hunter stood and walked over, flipping through the pictures along with Becky. "Cute kid," he remarked as he sat back down. "Just baby pictures," he murmured to Seth. "Nothing triggering."</p>
<p>Becky's lips curved in a small smile as she flicked through the photos again. "He's got a cute nose."</p>
<p>"Well, he can thank his mama for that, not me." Bray shut off his phone and tucked it back in his pocket. "So what's new with you? How have you been doing?"</p>
<p>There was nothing leading or suspicious in Bray's tone, no matter how much Seth tried to find something there, but it seemed to spark something in Becky all the same. She stopped swivelling the chair from side to side and her fingers finally went still. "My hands hurt." The words were simple and soft, stitched together with subtle agony. Her brow furrowed as she looked down at her hands in her lap, flipping them from back to front and back again before pressing her palms against her thighs.</p>
<p><i>My hands hurt</i>. Seth replayed the words over and over. There was more than one possibility there. Was she saying her hands were sore, or was that a vague admission of the suffering she had inflicted upon Charlotte?</p>
<p>"What happened?" Bray's voice was low and soothing, the Southern accent—whether it was genuine, played up, or completely fake—as slow and sweet as honey. He held his hands out flat, palms up, and looked to Hunter for a nod of approval before extending them to Becky.</p>
<p>Becky's gaze bounced from his hands to hers. "I don't know," she whispered, resting her hands lightly on Bray's palms. "There was a phone and talking and singing and . . . then they went dark. Numb."</p>
<p>"Your hands did?" Bray asked softly, keeping his gaze on hers.</p>
<p>Nodding, Becky wriggled her fingers experimentally, as if to make sure they still obeyed her. "They did something. <i>I</i> did something." She lurched forward as her breath caught, but Bray's grip kept her from falling out of her chair. "What did I do?"</p>
<p>Hunter started to speak up, but Bray cut him off with a sharp shake of his head. <i>Let her,</i> Bray mouthed as Becky pulled her hands from his and pushed at her knuckles. "You said there was a phone and talking and singing. Were you talking on the phone with a friend? Were you listening to music?"</p>
<p>"No. <i>No</i>." Becky shook her head sharply, balling her hands into fists and pressing them against her stomach. "Not my phone. I didn't need my phone. My friends were there. Talking and singing." Her right hand twitched so quickly Seth wouldn't have caught it if he hadn't been staring at her. "But then they stopped—because of me?" She sat up so abruptly her chair rolled back a bit.</p>
<p>"It's okay. You're okay." Even Seth had to admit Bray's voice was oddly soothing. "You can say it, Becky. It's okay."</p>
<p>Becky's breathing quickened and for a moment, Seth thought she was going to regress the way she had when he questioned her. "My friends were there," she repeated. "There was talking and singing and . . . a video?" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "And then . . . and then my hands went dark." As she said it, she pulled her hands back to her chest but then, as if on marionette strings, they jerked to attention. "It was too loud." She whispered it so quietly that even Bray had to lean forward to hear her. "It was making everything numb. I . . . I was falling again, so I reached out—" Her hands mimed wringing someone's neck, and picturing Becky's thumbs digging into Charlotte's throat made both Roman and Seth squirm a bit. </p>
<p>"Are your hands still numb?" Bray asked. Seth shot Roman an incredulous look, but his friend just shrugged. When Becky shook her head mournfully, Bray continued, lowering his voice even more. "When did they stop feeling numb, Becky?"</p>
<p>"When the singing stopped. Then . . . then everything <i>popped</i>, like your ears on an airplane, and Roman was there. . . ." She turned to look at Roman and her gaze was trapped between confusion and pain. "What did I do?" she said at last, aiming her words and her gaze directly at Hunter.</p>
<p>"Becky, I can't clear you to wrestle tonight. I'm sorry. We'll . . . make some sort of ambush set-up and improvise from there." Hunter shook his head as he stood. "Rollins, with me. Roman, Bray. . . ?"</p>
<p>Roman didn't need any instructions. "We're good." Then he gave Seth a small but warm smile. "We're good, man. I've got it covered. Go ahead."</p>
<p>"Thanks." Seth trusted Roman more than almost anyone else, but he still felt dread tighten his shoulders as he followed Hunter out of the room. "What can I do?" he asked when they were farther down the corridor. "I'm trying everything I can think of, and I thought she was getting better, but—"</p>
<p>"Seth." Hunter gripped his shoulders and gave him a small shake. "I don't think there's much any of us can do. For everyone's safety—hers, yours, the whole roster—we need to figure out what's going on. I know she was cleared by the therapist, but obviously something's still going on. She can't wrestle until we know what. If she would do that to Charlotte, there's no telling what she might do to someone else."</p>
<p><i>She doesn't mean it.</i> Seth kept the protest to himself, though. Intentions only counted for so much. "I know. But is it safe for her to be at home by herself while I'm on the road?" The company wouldn't like having one of its biggest stars on the sidelines; if he was gone too, the audience was sure to start questioning why.</p>
<p>Hunter shook his head. "Let me talk with Steph and Shane. We'll figure out a quick fix for tonight and worry about a long-term plan tomorrow. Just . . . keep her as calm as you can. And don't let her watch that video."</p>
<p>Only minutes passed between when Hunter left him and when Roman and Becky emerged from the room, but to Seth it felt like hours. Roman's smile was strained, but at least Becky still looked okay, if somewhat distant. "We should probably head to Creative to see what the new story is," Roman began. "But I was wondering what plans you guys had for the weekend. Naomi's in auntie mode, so she and Jimmy are going to take the kids, and Galina wants the house to herself for a girls' night. . . ."</p>
<p>Seth doubted any of that was true, but he knew when a friend was throwing out a lifeline and when it came to Becky's well-being, he would take all the help he could get. "Just hanging around the house. If Iowa's not too boring for you," he added, glancing over at Becky, "you're more than welcome to come visit for a few days. Cool with you, Becks?"</p>
<p>Becky blinked in surprise, and Seth thought back to what she had told Bray: <i>then everything POPPED, like your ears on an airplane</i>. It was like she was resurfacing after a deep dive, but where she was going, he had no clue, and it was taking her longer and longer to return each time. One day, Seth feared she might not come back to him at all, and he wasn't sure what was worse: the prospect of losing her, or the uncertainty of what might come back in her place.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>Home is where the heart is.</i> For Seth, that usually meant wherever Becky was, whether it was Iowa or California, America or abroad, a hotel room or an arena. For someone who was so accustomed to wearing his heart on his sleeve, even when it meant he was dubbed too sensitive, it was sheer agony to see Becky regressing. Sometimes Seth wasn't even sure he could trust what he was seeing or hearing. Hunter and others had accused him of holding a grudge against Bray, of being overprotective of Becky, but now that she had tried to choke Charlotte, all could do was hope others would take his claims more seriously. More than anything, he wanted Becky to recover, to go back to lively spitfire who enamoured him—and occasionally irritated—him so completely. Before the unprovoked attack on Charlotte, he thought she was making progress, even with the occasional lapse; now he didn't know what to believe.</p><p>By Hunter's decree, Becky was off the schedule for at least a month. Seth was given a few days off to help her adjust, but as soon as he started going to events again, he worried about leaving her behind. "It's for her own good," Hunter assured him when he refused Seth's request to at least bring Becky on the road with him. "She'll just miss wrestling even more, and if fans see her at the hotel, they'll wonder why she wasn't on the card."</p><p>Seth secretly thought Hunter was more worried about her crashing the shows and making a scene, but he kept that to himself. WWE was well within its rights to fire Becky for assault, even though Charlotte was adamant about getting Becky whatever help she needed. She and Roman and others—everyone from Sasha and Bayley to Naomi and the Usos—found excuses to drop in for a visit, and for the first week or so, Seth was grateful. Then he noticed how Becky's eyes dimmed when everyone left, like a computer being powered down.</p><p>How much could a person change before they weren't themselves anymore? Seth didn't want to know, at least not when it came to her. He and Becky had hit it off right from the start and been friends for years—confidants, workout partners, allies—and he didn't want to lose any piece of that history, not even the painful parts. He especially didn't want to lose what they had now—or at least not what they used to have. "Fight for it, man," Roman had advised him. "You have to. It's going to be tough and it's going to be uncomfortable, but if we want to get her back from the brink of . . . wherever she is, it's probably going to be messy. Feelings will get hurt and you can always apologize later. The important part is making sure she's there to hear the apology, right?"</p><p>Seth still found himself lingering in the kitchen doorway, though, and not just because Becky had a knife in her hand. There was nothing particularly ominous about the way she was chopping the carrots, but given how quickly she had snapped and attacked Charlotte, he wanted to give her plenty of space whenever she had a sharp object. "Hey, Becks," he said, entering the kitchen slowly. He found she stayed calmer if he announced his presence; loud noises and sudden appearances still spooked her.</p><p>Normally her eyes lit up whenever she saw him, but they had been mostly murky as of late, like a swamp hinting at dangerous depths. "Hey. Is this enough carrots? I forgot to read the recipe."</p><p>The recipe in question was in a cookbook on the counter not even a foot away from the cutting board, but Seth still glanced down at it. "Should be, yeah. If you want, we can still eat out or have something delivered instead."</p><p>Becky frowned a bit, eyebrows dipping. She set the knife down, but Seth was keenly aware that her fingers lingered on the handle. "I thought you wanted us to cook more?"</p><p>"I do, but—" <i>But going out to eat makes your brain run in some other gear and then I don't have to worry about you as much. And if we get food delivered, I don't have to watch you struggle with something as simple as remembering which dial to turn for the front burner on the stove.</i> Guilt kept him from saying any of those things, though. "It's up to you too," he said at last.</p><p>Her fingers slid away from the knife as she focussed on the carrots, grabbing handfuls and dropping them in a bowl. "They look a bit like eyes when they're chopped up," she said softly, holding a piece between her thumb and forefinger. Tracing the inner circle, she added, "Pupil, iris. . . ."</p><p><i>Maybe if you have orange eyes,</i> Seth thought. He was used to Becky making odd comments and connections since she had returned, but it didn't stop him from trying to make sense of them. Were the contacts Bray wore as The Fiend orange? Seth thought they were yellow and red, which wasn't far off. He started casually collecting the used bowls and utensils as an excuse to get the knife out of range. "I think I saw that the new Syrian restaurant is open—remember Sami telling us about it a few months back? Why don't I call and—"</p><p>"You don't think I can do it!" Becky pushed the bowl away in frustration and it tipped over, spilling the chopped carrots across the cutting board and counter. "No one trusts me." Her voice got shakier by the word and tears started to slide down her cheeks, as thick and slow as oil. "The McMahons don't trust me to wrestle. My friends don't trust me enough to talk to me alone. You don't . . .  you don't—" She let  out a strangled sound and for a moment, Seth thought she was going to punch the wall, but instead she grabbed it for support as she fought back sobs.</p><p>"Hey. Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Seth approached her slowly, making sure she could see and hear him before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Becks. I just thought it would be a nice change for you, and then you could call Sami and tell him what you thought. . . ."</p><p>"I'm <i>trying</i>." When Becky turned to face him, her eyes were so full of tears it was hard to tell her irises from her pupils. "I am trying so hard every day—<i>I am</i>—and none of you can tell, and it's so hard. The darkness is so thick and it . . . it clings, and every time I think I've finally got it off, there's another patch. It never stops." Her tears were flowing freely now, splattering against the floor.</p><p>"Becks, come here." Seth drew her in close, her shaking hands trapped between his chest and hers. Ever since she returned, he had worried that she felt like she couldn't confide in him, and he tried to tell himself that he was being paranoid. Having his worst suspicions confirmed was like a punch to the gut, yet oddly liberating. <i>Things can only get better from here, right?</i> he thought as he tightened his arms around her. "I just want to help. I've only ever wanted to help. If I'm doing something that makes it worse, just tell me. I don't want to upset you. I'm just trying to understand."</p><p>Becky's shoulders gradually relaxed and she wrapped her arms around Seth, not complaining when he shuffle-walked them both into the living room and settled in the large armchair, drawing her down with him. "It's . . . it's like a maze. And I run and I run and I mark my path with . . . with memories. Light. Good things. I mark my route so I know where I've gone, and I run, and it takes so long I <i>must</i> be at the end, but it's all nothing. A void. And then no matter which way I turn, I can't find my markings, so I have to start all over again. I try to remember the paths, but they're never the same."</p><p>Seth wasn't sure what to say to that, so he just held her for a long time. She wasn't exactly stiff at first, but it took her a few minutes to relax against him like she normally would, cuddling into his shoulder. <i>I hope the oven wasn't on,</i> he thought as he stroked her back slowly. Her breathing was almost sleep-slow and he would hate to disturb the small measure of peace she had gained after her confession. Some of the food that was sitting out might have to be thrown away, but that was a small expense compared to her well-being. He let his lips linger against her forehead after he kissed her, as if he could inhale all the fog from her mind and help clear her thoughts. "Stay here," he murmured, reaching back for the blanket Becky always kept draped over the back of the chair. "I'm just going to put stuff back in the fridge and I'll be right back."</p><p>But as soon as he stirred, Becky did too. Her tears had left dry, itchy trails across her cheeks, but her eyes were clearer now, her breathing steady. "No. I'm good. Let's go make supper." She eased off his lap and held out a hand. "There must be something we can salvage." With a small smile, she added, "Maybe we can try the Syrian place tomorrow?"</p><p>"Sounds good." Seth followed her to the kitchen and let her take the lead, and just like that things were almost normal again. They chatted and joked as they prepared the meal, Becky tossing tiny bits of carrot for Seth to catch in his mouth. They ended up eating a little later because of Becky's break, but neither of them seemed to mind; they even ate at the table instead of sprawling on the couch like usual, and it reminded Seth that he actually did have cloth napkins. When Becky started to collect the plates after they had finished, however, Seth stopped her. "Leave them. Let's just relax for a bit and I'll put stuff in the dishwasher later."</p><p>"Okay." Becky went back to the armchair, so Seth followed, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around them both once they got settled. It made him warmer than he'd like, but it was worth the contentment on Becky's face. When her light doze started to deepen to proper sleep, Seth nudged her gently and suggested heading upstairs. "But we still have all the cleaning to do," she protested, looking over the back of the chair at the dining table.</p><p>"I've got it. Don't worry. Go to bed. I'll be up in ten minutes; we can run the dishwasher tomorrow," he promised, giving her a gentle kiss. Sex wasn't in the cards anyway—it didn't feel right on the days when she had struggled to keep her thoughts in order—and he hoped a good sleep would help them both. After watching Becky go up the stairs, Seth cleared the dining table, sorting the items into the dishwasher and keeping aside the ones that would have to be washed by hand. The knife Becky had used for the carrots was one of the latter, and rather than leave it out, he decided to wash it quickly. <i>Then there's nothing to remind her about the disagreement,</i> he thought as he ran the water. The smallest sights and sounds could trigger Becky in strange ways, and he was still learning how to navigate that particular minefield.</p><p>When he went to put it back in the knife block, however, Seth noticed that there were two empty slots, not just one.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>This is nice.</i> The thought, hazy and warm, almost made Seth laugh. How long had it been since something had simply been <i>nice</i>? He was used to being busy, being stressed, being worried—being anything but calm, steady. But Becky hadn't had any more setbacks since her attack on Charlotte—if he didn't count her outburst in the kitchen—and she had been going out more and more. At first, she was working out at Black and Brave when it was only Seth and Marek there, just to be safe, but as she continued to improve, she expanded her horizons. Sometimes she would sit in the cafe and call Charlotte while Seth was teaching a class next door; other times she would stay at the wrestling school and watch the lessons, even offering praise or suggestions to the students from time to time. Becky's regular, sociable self was shining through more and more, and Seth was happy to bask in it. When he slipped once and called her his wife and she had her slow, shy smile for the first time in weeks, he felt like he won every championship in WWE all at once.</p>
<p>At the moment, they were doing nothing but lounging in bed, with Seth sitting up against the headboard and reading some messages from his brother while Becky was nestled against him, still dozing on and off. His free hand was idly stroking her back and whenever he leaned forward to kiss her head, he could feel Becky smile and cuddle in closer. He was certain she had almost fallen back to sleep when his phone rang; it even startled him, and he had to lurch forward to stop his phone from falling on her head. "Sorry, Becks. It's Marek." Wrapping his free arm around Becky's head to muffle the sound, he tapped his phone screen and held it close to his ear. "Hey, man. What's up?"</p>
<p>Seth heard alarms before he could make out Marek's voice. "I need you to come down to the school. Everything's fine, but the fire alarms won't shut off, so the fire department is here, and they need a bunch of information about the wiring and permits and I don't know where you have it. . . ." </p>
<p>"I've got it all here." Seth had been tempted to keep all the pertinent paperwork for the wrestling academy in the office safe there, but he had been advised to keep it off-site. Now he was wishing he hadn't listened. "I'll get dressed and head right over. I won't be long."</p>
<p>"Sorry, man. I know you're taking advantage of all the time you can get with Becks now that. . . ." Marek trailed off. He didn't know the full extent of what Becky had gone through or what she had done afterwards, but he knew enough. "If I could deal with this for you, I would, but they've made it clear they want to speak with the owner. . . ."</p>
<p>"Which means me. No worries, man. I'll be there as quick as I can." After he disconnected, Seth looked at his screen and groaned. His phone needed to be charged, but there wasn't enough time. He put it on the charging dock by Becky's before giving her a gentle nudge. "I have to go to Black and Brave, Becks. Marek said the fire alarm won't shut off."</p>
<p>Becky blinked slowly and looked up at him, but he wasn't sure how much she had understood. "Want me to come with you?" she asked.</p>
<p>Seth shook his head. "That's okay. You stay here and sleep. There wouldn't be much for you to do anyway. Hopefully it won't take too long to get things sorted out." He kissed her forehead and eased her down onto the pillows as he slid out of bed. "I'm just going to let my phone charge a bit while I'm in the shower and then I'll charge it in the car on the way over. Call if you need me."</p>
<p>"Mmhmm." Becky's eyes were half-open when he left the room, but he wasn't surprised to see that she was dozing again when he got out of the shower. Seth dressed as quietly as he could, kissed Becky on the cheek, and grabbed his phone off the charger. "Love you," she mumbled, reaching a hand out from under the covers to wave.</p>
<p>"Love you too. Be back soon." Seth was so happy to see Becky content that he almost forgot to go to his office and get all the Black and Brave paperwork. He took everything just in case, even if it didn't look relevant, and stuffed it in a messenger bag before pausing in the kitchen. If he made himself a coffee, he could leave the pot going for Becky, but she would most likely still be in bed by the time he got back home. He called in an order to his cafe instead, once again grateful his two businesses were side by side, and headed out.</p>
<p>Seth could hear the alarm as soon as he entered the parking lot and he said a silent apology to anyone in the vicinity. Before he could head to the cafe to grab his coffee, though, he saw Marek peek out from the back door, a cup of coffee in each hand. "One of the baristas ran them over. Thanks for the boost," he said, raising a cup in a toast. "I'm going to be hearing that sound for the rest of the day now."</p>
<p>"Sorry." Seth winced as he took his coffee from his friend. He was half-wishing he had brought his noise-cancelling headphones, but he doubted they would have much success against the clamour; besides, as the owner, he would have to do most of the talking. "I'll take it from here, man. Go over to the cafe and give your ears a break. Let the manager know everything's okay, too; I forgot to mention that when I made the order."</p>
<p>Marek's pinched expression matched his own. "Pretty sure the barista got that message loud and clear when he brought the coffees over," he said, "but I'll let them know. I'll be back in ten."</p>
<p>Venturing further into the wrestling academy, Seth was glad no lessons were scheduled for that day. This class was nearing graduation, which meant most of them were making sure they got lots of rest so they were ready for their final matches. <i>Hello, adulthood</i>, he thought as he talked with fire officials and a representative from the alarm company. His presence seemed rather symbolic: once he showed the alarm company worker all the paperwork and confirmed his owner code, the technician was able to temporarily disable the alarm. The sudden silence slammed against Seth's ears, almost more painful than the cacophony it replaced, and it made his lungs seem to lurch.</p>
<p>"I can't find any signs of tampering," the technician said. "All the connections are good; all the wiring is up to code. I'll have Central run some diagnostics, though. Can you keep the place empty for the rest of the morning?"</p>
<p>Sighing, Seth nodded. He had been hoping for an easy fix, but he knew he wasn't going to be that lucky. "Yeah, there aren't any classes today. A few people were coming in to work out, so I'll let them know. Excuse me." He stepped away from the alarm company technician and the fire officials, who were conferring about something with a bunch of science-sounding words, and grabbed his phone. After three failed attempts to put in his passcode, though, he realized it was actually Becky's. "Shit." Shoving her phone back in his bag, Seth went to the office and made his calls there, then called home to warn her about the mix-up. She couldn't answer his phone—even though she was improving, he still kept changing his passcode out of habit—so he ended up leaving a message on the landline, feeling strange listening to his own voice; if her accent weren't so distinctive—and occasionally indecipherable—he'd ask Becky to record a new greeting.</p>
<p>When Marek returned, Seth could see the tension drain from his shoulders. "That's a relief." He glanced around at the workers still bustling about. "Any idea what was wrong?"</p>
<p>Seth shook his head. "Nah. The alarm guy said the connections were all good. Probably just some weird glitch. At least it didn't happen when we were teaching, I guess."</p>
<p>"If I can take over from here," Marek offered, "head back home."</p>
<p>It was tempting, but Seth knew there would probably be more questions and then a walk-through and probably some paperwork to sign—that he would have to remember to sign properly, with his legal name and not the quick scrawl he'd established to get through signings faster. "Thanks, man, but I'm good. I'm hoping it'll only be another hour. Becky will probably still be in bed, but I'll bring her back a coffee and some breakfast from the cafe."</p>
<p>One hour ended up being almost three, bringing breakfast closer to lunch, and Seth started to worry because Becky still wasn't answering the landline. He left message after message, but by the time he was finally free to leave, his anxiety was so high he almost forgot to go to the cafe. As he waited for their coffees to be made, he thought about texting Charlotte or Roman to see if they had heard from her, but he didn't want to overreact. <i>She's just in the shower. Or the bathroom. Maybe she took Kevin out for a walk.</i> Excuses and possibilities tumbled through his mind, but none of them explained why she hadn't taken a minute or two to return any of his calls and check in.</p>
<p>His anxiety only built on the drive home, his hands gripping the wheel so tightly it started to creak. Every few minutes he gave the voice command for his phone to call home, forgetting that he had Becky's phone and not his own; its dark, blank screen seemed to mock him from the passenger seat. When he finally arrived, he left his messenger bag in the back seat and jammed Becky's phone in his pocket as an afterthought as he hurried to the front door. As he grabbed his keys, he rang the doorbell for good measure: Becky probably wasn't still sleeping, but maybe she was preparing some sort of surprise for him. <i>Yeah, right.</i> It wasn't that Becky wasn't thoughtful, but Seth's sense of dread only grew when he unlocked the door. "Becks?"</p>
<p>He couldn't place the sound at first. It had been so long since he had heard it, at least out loud; he had thought about it off and on until it had taken on that hazy quality of a half-remembered dream, where everything was too absurd to possibly be real. It was too discordant, too feral to be in his house, and yet there it was, blaring from his television. The accompanying image was distorted by the difference in pixel quality, but Seth knew it all too well.</p>
<p>The video clip of Becky attacking Charlotte, bellowing <i>Let me out! Let me out!</i>, was on a sickening loop, following him throughout the house as he passed by anything with a screen: the television, his tablet, Becky's laptop left out on the dining room table. Unplugging cords and forcing devices to shut down did nothing; the clip seemed to be running on its own power. Seth was about to stomp on his tablet to make it stop when Kevin came tearing down the hallway, barking up a storm until Seth followed him to the master bedroom. Seth's phone was on the pillow where Becky's head should have been. Glancing down at the screen, Seth expected to see the same looping clip there, but it was paused on the moment Becky wrapped her hands around Charlotte's throat. </p>
<p><i>Why did I ever keep that video on here?</i> Seth cursed himself as he tried to close the file, the echoes of Becky's possessed demands seeming to come at him from all sides. In the end, he simply turned the volume down as much as he could and left it that way. Kevin was still in a tizzy at his feet, though, barking and whining.</p>
<p>It was when Seth bent down to pick him up that he finally heard the water.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything seemed to erupt, and Seth felt like he was being buried under the chaos. Kevin wouldn't stop barking, struggling in his arms. That infernal video kept playing on a loop, making Seth wonder just how many devices were in the house. His heart was beating so hard he was surprised his ribs hadn't cracked yet, and just beneath it all, there was a low keening sound. "Sorry, bud," Seth murmured, kissing Kevin's head before putting him in the guest bathroom down the hall and closing the door. As much as he wanted to comfort his dog, he needed to find Becky first, and that would be far more difficult if the little Yorkie was running free. </p>
<p>Seth tried to focus on his breathing as he ran back to the master bedroom, heading directly for the en suite bathroom. It was easier to hear the shower now, even though it was still far quieter than the looping video. "Becky?" he called out, trying to keep his voice calm. He had thought these days were long over, the days of being afraid to leave her at home because she might wander off or hurt herself or zone out and inadvertently put herself in danger. As he closed the en suite door behind him, he was surprised to see no steam on the vanity mirror; the temperature was low enough that Seth flinched. He could see a huddled form in the back corner of the shower and he approached slowly. "Becks, it's me." As he inched forward, he was glad that the only red he could see seemed to be her hair.</p>
<p>By the time he reached the shower, Seth could barely hear the video anymore, but the words were lodged in his head, spiralling around and snagging on every thought, every hope, every fear. He shook his head to clear it and reached for the shower controls, but Becky's hand clasped around his wrist like a vise. "Don't. <i>Don't</i>. I can't hear it in here."</p>
<p>When Becky looked up at him, soaked and shivering, Seth was frozen for a moment. Her pupils were huge and hazy, her skin turning purplish-red from the cascade of cold water. "Becks, you can't stay in here. You'll get too cold." Seth lowered her hand slowly and tried to get a good look at her, but she was all huddled in on herself. She might have been wearing a tank top and panties, but he couldn't tell for sure. "I'll go get my headphones and be back to help you dry off, okay?"</p>
<p>Seth was sure his noise-cancelling headphones were down in the game room, but mercifully they were on the dresser. He grabbed them and the small, simple MP3 player he took along while jogging—its screen far too small and low-tech to show videos, mercifully—and brought both into the en suite. When he showed the headphones to Becky and tried to coax her out, though, she adamantly refused, pressing her face to her knees. "It's still playing. I . . . I saw what I did." She started rocking back and forth, and Seth quickly set the headphones on the vanity by the MP3 player so he could get in the shower before she could try bashing her head against the wall. "No one told me. Why didn't anyone tell me? I . . . I hurt Charlotte. <i>Charlotte</i>." Then she started wailing again, digging her fingers into her knees, and Seth could see from the indents and the bruising that she had already done some damage.</p>
<p>"Becks, stop. You're okay. She's okay." Even though the cold water seemed to sting, Seth sat on the shower floor and hugged Becky close, pressing his lips to her forehead. She was wearing a thin tank top and panties, but both were utterly soaked through. "But we need to get you dried off and warmed up, okay?" He stood slowly, drawing her to her feet at the same time and moving to the far end of the shower where the water didn't quite reach. "Let's get you out of these first."</p>
<p>Becky tried to help, but shivers were overtaking her entire body, so Seth tugged off her tank top and underwear as quickly as he could, abandoning them on the shower floor. When he eased her out of the shower and wrung as much water out of her hair as he could, she tried to stay still. "I got water everywhere," she whispered, teeth chattering. "I'm making a mess of everything. . . ."</p>
<p>"It's fine, Becky. It's nothing." Once her hair was no longer dripping, he wound it into a bun as best he could; her hair was far longer than his, though, and he was sure his attempt would fail at any second. Seth dried off the rest of her gingerly, worried about damage to her skin. Then he grabbed his robe off the back of the door and opened it up. "Come on," he beckoned, trying to keep his voice level. He wanted nothing more than to panic and bundle her off to the hospital right away, but he knew she would pick up on his anxiety and amplify it.</p>
<p>After she stepped into the oversized robe, Seth pulled it shut, overlapped the sides and tied the sash tightly around her waist. "Everything's so grey," she murmured, drawing her hands up into the long sleeves and pressing them to her face.</p>
<p>"Hang on." Seth's fingers shook from the cold as he tested out the MP3 player to make sure the audio track from the attack video hadn't wormed its way onto it. He hadn't been under the cold water nearly as long as Becky must have been, and he shuddered to think of how long the ordeal had gone on, the echoes of her own voice assaulting her from all sides before she sought shelter in the shower. "Okay, come here." Seth tucked the small MP3 player in the robe's pocket and held up the large headphones. "This will block out the voice, okay? Then I'll stop the shower and we'll find you something to wear." He waited until Becky nodded to settle the headphones over her ears, then tapped his own ear in question. When she nodded again, he stepped back into the shower and turned off the water, bracing himself for a deluge of <i>Let me out!</i></p>
<p>Everything he heard was shattered, stricken: Kevin's panicked barks, Becky's small whimpers, the erratic drops of water falling off the shower head and from his hair. The loop, apparently, had ended.</p>
<p>Seth didn't want to assume it was safe, however, so he kept the headphones on Becky and tugged off his own soaked clothes, tossing them in the shower before drying off and looping a towel around his waist. "I'm sorry," Becky blubbered, repeating it over and over until Seth wrapped his arms around her again. "I just want it to stop. That's all I want." Her breath came in great heaving sobs and he slowly eased her out into the bedroom. </p>
<p>Glancing down at his phone, Seth was relieved to see the screen was black. Still holding Becky with one arm, he cautiously pressed the power button and waited for his phone to reboot. "I know." Becky wouldn't be able to hear him over the music, so he didn't say anything more. He just held her for a while, rubbing her back and arms to help warm her up. Her pupils were still huge, though, and given her history of head injuries, he wanted to get her to the hospital. "Sit," he said, pointing to the comfy armchair near the bedroom window. As Becky hesitantly curled up in the chair, Seth tugged the blankets off the bed and draped them around her.</p>
<p>While Becky calmed down and warmed up, Seth quickly got dressed and jammed his phone—double- and even triple-checking that it was indeed his this time—into his pocket before picking out clothes for Becky. It would have to be something easy to get on and off, since she would likely have to change into a gown at the hospital, but he still tried to pick from her favourite things, hoping the familiarity would help settle her. When he held up one of her favourite Pearl Jam shirts, she tried to smile; her lips were pale and shaking, but at least it was a sign of recognition.</p>
<p>"I'm making a mess of everything," Becky repeated softly, and when Seth looked closer, he was surprised to see tears slipping down her cheeks. He had learned early on that Becky was neither a quiet crier nor a graceful one, and with her pupils still so huge, her tears seemed bigger somehow. "So many messes. . . ."</p>
<p>"Hey." Seth knelt in front of her and gently pushed the headphones back off her ears, hating how Becky winced in anticipation of the haunting chorus that had mercifully—and mysteriously—gone silent. Since there was no way of knowing when it might resume, he wanted to get her out of the house as soon as possible. "You're just having a rough patch, okay?" He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "We'll get through this together. I promise. I just want to check something and then I'll be back to help you get dressed, okay?"</p>
<p>Becky nodded shakily, reaching up for the headphones. "Can I . . . ?"</p>
<p>Seth hesitated, looking back at the bedroom door. He didn't trust the electronic devices not to flip at any given second, but if the music was giving Becky some solace, it was hard to argue against it. "Yeah. Go ahead. I won't be long." He kissed her again and rose to his feet, heading to the guest bathroom first to comfort Kevin. "Sorry, bud," he murmured, ruffling the dog's fur. "But you're going to have to stay in here a while longer. I have to make sure Becky's okay." Not wanting to leave Becky alone for any longer than necessary, Seth did a quick walk-through of the house, but everything seemed to be back to normal. He grabbed Kevin's food and water bowls and brought them to the guest bathroom, giving his dog one last cuddle before returning to the master suite.</p>
<p>When he entered, Becky was already half dressed. The robe was draped over the bed and she had the MP3 player tucked in her shirt as she struggled with her leggings. Seth motioned for her to sit and grabbed a pair of her yoga pants instead, easing them up her legs. As soon as she was fully dressed, she wrapped the robe around herself again and Seth didn't bother protesting. She was still mumbling, still shaking, and it was more important to get her to the hospital than to argue about fashion choices. If they were in Los Angeles, they might have to worry about paparazzi and unflattering photos making it online, but in Davenport, they were relatively safe.</p>
<p>After he put his Bluetooth earpiece in and connected it to his phone, Seth hugged Becky again, motioning to the door. "Let's go." He grabbed her purse off the dresser as an afterthought and led her downstairs by the hand. After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed her phone and tucked it in his other pocket just in case before jamming his feet in the first pair of his shoes he could find. Becky struggled a bit with hers, so he knelt to help. When something brushed the top of his head, he glanced up to see Becky looking down at him, looking scared and sad all at once. Seth sighed as he stood, taking her face in her hands. "I love you." With the headphones on and the music playing, she probably couldn't hear him, but he said it just as much for himself as for her.</p>
<p>Becky smiled, though it looked like the expression was fighting her face, and she followed him without hesitation to the SUV. Seth held open the passenger door for her, but she climbed in on her own, holding up the hem the long robe so it didn't drag. "Coffee?" Most people wearing headphones tended to speak too loudly, but her voice was soft and unsure.</p>
<p>Seth shook his head. As much as he would have loved a coffee—he couldn't remember where he had left the ones he brought from his cafe—he knew Becky might need an empty stomach for any tests the doctors wanted to run. "Later," he promised.</p>
<p>Since coffee wasn't forthcoming, Becky's interest in staying awake apparently dimmed, because she curled up on the passenger seat and shut her eyes. Seth nudged her every few minutes to make sure she was okay, having to pull his hand away once when she tried to cuddle his arm. They were about five minutes away from the hospital when his phone rang, taking him by surprise, and it took him a moment to remember which button to press on his earpiece. "Hey, Seth." Charlotte's cheery voice came over the line. "Sorry to be that friend that calls you looking for your wife, but Becky's not picking up and—"</p>
<p>"We're on our way to the hospital," Seth answered tersely, glancing over at Becky. She was lightly dozing and instead of nudging her again, he let her be; they were close enough to the hospital now that she wouldn't be able to sleep for long. </p>
<p>"Oh shit." Charlotte sobered up quickly. "What's wrong?"</p>
<p>"It's hard to explain. . . ." Seth fought to focus on traffic, reaching over and placing a hand on Becky's knee. She squeezed his fingers lightly, which helped him relax. "And I'm probably overreacting, but—"</p>
<p>"No, no. I was just calling to say I was in Chicago for a couple days and wanted to know if you two had time to hang out. If you give me the name of the hospital," Charlotte added, "I can meet you there."</p>
<p>Seth's first instinct was to decline, to say he had everything under control, but he hadn't been truly sure of anything in months. "That would be great. I'll text you the name as soon as I park."</p>
<p>"I'm already heading your way. Take care of our girl, okay? And yourself. I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't forget to send me the info."</p>
<p>"I won't. Drive safe." Seth disconnected and forced himself to keep both hands on the wheel. It would take Charlotte almost three hours to arrive, give or take, so he didn't have to rush to send her the address. He did, however, have to get Becky to the hospital safely. <i>Maybe things will come full circle</i>, he thought as he pulled into the parking lot. Becky's attack on Charlotte had signalled the beginning of this latest bunch of strangeness, and maybe Charlotte's presence would help bring it to an end. At that point, Seth was willing to believe just about anything, as long as it resulted in Becky being safe, sane, and whole.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Between her height and her aura of imposing confidence, Charlotte Flair shouldn't have been an easy person to miss, but Seth didn't realize she was in the waiting area with him until she nudged his arm. "Hey," she said gently, holding out a cup of coffee. "You've probably had a dozen of these already, but I needed one so I thought you might too."</p>
<p>Seth glanced over at the table, which held four different take-out cups at various stages of consumption. A kind nurse had found him a waiting area away from the general public so he didn't have to worry about paparazzi-style photos being taken, but he almost wished he was in the regular hustle and bustle of the hospital. He had explained Becky's relevant history—her concussion, her various injuries, her mysterious disappearance—to the doctor and Becky was currently undergoing a battery of tests, and Seth dreaded the results of every single one. If they showed something fatal or irreversible, he would feel like they had been robbed of their chance to live a life together before they had ever really started; if the tests revealed nothing, however, it was almost worse, because then he still had no idea what was plaguing her.</p>
<p>Charlotte put his new coffee on the table and sat beside him. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner. I didn't want to speed too much and get pulled over." She took a long sip of her coffee and sighed. "So . . . any word yet?"</p>
<p>Seth shook his head. "Nothing major, anyway. Her blood work came back negative for any common drugs or poisons. There was no obvious head trauma, but they're still going to do a CAT scan, MRI, all that." He downed the last of one of his coffees gone cold and tried not to wince. "She . . . was okay on the way here, but she started acting up a bit when they tried to give her an IV, so they had to sedate her." He wrapped his hands around the fresh cup of coffee, relishing the heat. "Probably for the best, really. It'll make the CAT scan and all that easier too. . . ."</p>
<p>"Seth. . . ." He and Charlotte weren't really on hugging terms—they were friendly enough, but their bond was mostly through Becky—but she leaned over and embraced him anyway. "You're doing the best you can. No one knows what's going on—not even doctors." As she sat back, Charlotte put a hand to her throat. "If you think having me here will upset her," she added, "I can leave. I can go back to Chicago and just call for updates. . . ."</p>
<p>"No. It's good that you're here. Familiar faces might help." He knew what Charlotte's worry was and given the repeat performance of the video he had just endured, he didn't really blame her. As they drank their coffees, Seth told her what he had discovered when he got home. Had there been more to the fire alarm fiasco at Black and Brave? He hadn't slowed down enough to consider that until now. "I never should have kept that video on my phone. I just figured it would be handy that way if. . . ." He gestured at the hospital walls. "If something happened. And now something happened <i>because</i> of the video."</p>
<p>"And you've been changing your passcode frequently?" Charlotte asked. "I don't know how Becks would have made the video broadcast through the whole house, but if she got in your phone. . . ."</p>
<p>Seth nodded. "I'm pretty sure I'm running out of number combinations, but I don't want to use the facial recognition either. I'm getting to the point where I barely remember the code." He leaned back and rubbed at his eyes. It was still afternoon and he felt utterly exhausted. "I just want to help her, Char, however I can. If . . . if that means us taking a break for a bit—" He couldn't bring himself to even think about that, let alone say it, and he took a long swallow of hot coffee to scorch the words off his tongue. "Whatever I have to do," he continued, trying to keep his voice firm, "I'll do it. But I don't think she should be left alone either."</p>
<p>Charlotte shut her eyes for a moment. "And we can't bounce her from house to house, because she'll see right through that. I was really hoping we wouldn't have to tell her family everything, but—"</p>
<p>"Sir?" A nurse stopped just outside the entryway. "Your wife's back from all her scans and she's asking for you. Don't worry: we'll keep this space reserved for you."</p>
<p>"Thanks. We'll be right there." After the nurse left, Seth stood and started gathering up all his garbage, mostly to avoid Charlotte's gaze. "I know. I know I'm not supposed to call her my wife," he said curtly, "but I was panicking and I just wanted to get her in and I figured they would be less likely to waste time if they thought we were married."</p>
<p>"I'm not judging." Charlotte's voice was soft and she grabbed Seth's cross-body bag once his hands were full. "You're practically married anyway," she added with a quirk of a smile, "and you didn't hear it from me, but I think she kinda likes it when you call her that."</p>
<p><i>At least she used to.</i> Neither one of them said it, but it lingered in their thoughts. It was hard to tell what Becky liked or didn't like these days. When Charlotte hesitated in the hallway, Seth waved her ahead. "Come on. They know you're with me."</p>
<p>Charlotte glanced down the hall, twisting the strap of Seth's bag in her hands while he disposed of all the garbage he had generated while waiting. "Maybe I shouldn't. After what happened with the video—well, seeing me might upset her, and I don't want to cause her another setback. I can wait here. . . ."</p>
<p>Seth understood Charlotte's misgivings. He had been haunted by doubt for weeks now, second-guessing every word and action. "Or it could help. Maybe seeing you here—alive, okay—would help prove to her that she's been making progress."</p>
<p>She didn't look wholly convinced, but she followed him all the same. "You can test the waters," Charlotte said at last. "See how she's doing. I'll wait outside and if you think it's okay, I'll come in."</p>
<p>He had to admit Charlotte was right, but part of him was afraid to go in alone. He loved Becky with all his heart, but he had no idea how to help her and he could feel the strain on both of them. "Sure. I'll come to the door if she seems okay." Leaving Charlotte out in the hall, Seth slipped inside Becky's private room and knocked lightly on the door to announce his presence. "Hey, Becks. How are you?"</p>
<p>There was still an IV attached to Becky's arm, and her gaze slowly and unsteadily followed the tube up to the drip bag. "That's not coffee," she mumbled, her indignation clouded by her grogginess.</p>
<p>"I'm pretty sure a coffee IV is only a thing in Internet memes." Seth kissed her forehead gently. He thought he remembered putting her hair up in a bun, but it must have come loose during some of her tests, because it was in a low ponytail now. "But I'll get you one as soon as the doctors say it's okay. How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>"Slow. Sore." Becky's head lolled on the stack of pillows for a few moments before she made herself focus on the door. "Someone's here."</p>
<p>For a dreadful moment, Seth expected to see The Fiend there, but then he noticed Charlotte's shadow under the door. He didn't want to announce Charlotte by name and have Becky refuse outright, but he still made note of where her panic button was before he kissed her again and stepped back. "It's a friend," he said simply. "She called while you were having tests done, and she asked if she could come visit you. Is that okay? If you're too tired and you just want to rest. . . ." </p>
<p>Becky shook her head slowly. "Can you move the bed up, though?" She tried to gesture at the pitcher of water on her bedside table, but got her fingers tangled in the IV tube. "And get me some water, please?"</p>
<p>"Sure." Seth adjusted the bed first so Becky could sit up, then poured her half a glass of water. "Be right back." Going to the door, he opened it and beckoned to Charlotte. "She just knows you're a friend," he whispered, "so we'll see how it goes."</p>
<p>Seeing Charlotte, normally the epitome of confidence, take hesitant steps and slide her gaze to the side was almost eerie, but she tried to enter the room as unobtrusively as possible. "Hey, Becks." She kept her voice soft and level, her movements slow, but Seth could tell it bothered her when Becky initially flinched at the sight of her. "I had an event in Chicago, so I thought I'd drop in."</p>
<p>Watching the array of emotions that crossed Becky's face was almost dizzying, and Seth went over to the far side of the bed, squeezing her hand gently. "You're okay?" Becky's voice cracked in the middle of the question, and she gazed at Charlotte like a mirage in the desert. Then she looked up at Seth, her eyes so full of guileless hope that he nearly cried. It felt like it had been months since he had seen such genuine emotion in her. "She's okay?"</p>
<p>Charlotte edged a bit closer, gaze continually flicking up to Seth's to make sure she wasn't overstepping any boundaries. "I'm okay," Charlotte confirmed, voice thick with tears. She pulled her hair away from her neck to show that it was unblemished. "See?"</p>
<p>"But . . . but I saw—" Becky's gaze darkened as she looked back and forth between Seth and Charlotte. Her hand twitched in Seth's, but he held it steady. "I know I saw—"</p>
<p>"You weren't yourself," Charlotte said gently, stopping within reach of Becky's free hand. "I know that. I know you didn't mean it."</p>
<p>Becky reached for her cup of water and gulped it all down, scarcely looking away from Charlotte. "I didn't. I just . . . I don't know—"She clenched her jaw, but tears started to spill down her face anyway. "When is this all going to <i>stop?</i>?" She said more, but it was lost to a torrent of sobs.</p>
<p>Charlotte moved closer instinctively, wrapping her arms around Becky. "Soon, Becks. Hopefully soon. The doctors are working on it right now, I promise." She met Seth's gaze over Becky's head. Everything else she had told Becky was true; hopefully Charlotte's prediction would come to pass as well.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite having spent most of the day in one bed or another, Becky was still tired. The chill from her seeking refuge in the shower hadn't fully left her and even though she appreciated Seth and Charlotte's concern and devotion, she was finding it harder and harder to keep her eyes open. Eventually Seth leaned over the bed and kissed her cheek. "You should sleep. I can go ask at the nurses' station if they'll let me stay, if you want."</p>
<p>Becky shook her head hazily. Nearly every movement made her feel like she was swimming in syrup. "You should go home. Kevin's . . . probably worried."</p>
<p>"Kevin's probably torn up the bathroom by now," Seth replied with a slight grimace, "but yeah, I should go check on our boy." He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment before stepping back. "We'll be back bright and early, okay?"</p>
<p>Charlotte hugged her from the other side. "As early as they'll let us," she agreed. "Do you need help getting to the bathroom or anything before we leave?" When Becky shook her head again, Charlotte freed the loose braid she had done for Becky and draped it over the pillow so it wouldn't bother her.</p>
<p>"Love you." Seth tucked in all her blankets, poured her a fresh cup of water, and tended to half a dozen other small details before Charlotte finally pulled him towards the door. "Get some rest, Becks. We'll be back in the morning." He waved before shutting off the lights.</p>
<p>"Love you." Becky heard the door shut softly behind them and then all the background noises came to the fore: the steady beep of her monitors, traffic noise outside, the squeak of her bed whenever she moved. Sleep felt strange without Seth beside her and her regular pillow—when she wasn't sleeping on Seth's chest or arm—and their cozy bed, but her body was too drained to complain.</p>
<p><i>I'm sorry, sir. Visiting hours are over.</i> The words were such a cliche part of any hospital scene in a movie that Becky thought she had dreamt them at first. <i>Are you fam—?</i></p>
<p>The words stopped. In their place were steady footsteps, advancing in no particular hurry. Then a shadow crept under her door, oozing forward like a puddle of spilled oil, and Becky thought back to how she had known someone was at the door when Charlotte came to visit. Then she wondered how she could see a shadow in the dark. "Who's there?" she called out, propping herself up and fumbling for the bedside lamp.</p>
<p>"Don't." The word entered the room before the man did, but both pulsed with power, making her go still. "The light only shows you who they want you to be. The darkness shows you who you truly are." The steady footsteps continued until the man was beside her bed, resting a hand on her head. "They all want you to be an apostrophe. Charlotte's best friend. Seth's fiance." The man snorted then, crouching down so he was more level with the bed. The glint of eyes flashed by Becky's elbow. "Seth wants you to be small, to be a possession: his wife, his child's mother. <i>You</i> are too much for him."</p>
<p>Becky's heart felt like it was spinning, careening off her ribs and stomach like a ball in a pinball machine. "No," she managed, the word heavy on her tongue. </p>
<p>The man continued on as if he hadn't heard her refusal. "But this is too much for <i>you</i>. I should have known that from the barn." He sighed, stroking her hair before straightening up. "The fire didn't burn the fear out of you. You didn't bask in the flames long enough."</p>
<p>Finding she couldn't look away from the shadowy figure, Becky tried to reach behind her, hoping to find the panic button or even knock over some expensive equipment that might bring a nurse running to check on her, but her arm didn't want to obey. "No," she repeated, half whisper and half sob. She didn't want fire and voices in the dark. She wanted Seth and her friends and wrestling and all the things that filled her days with delight.</p>
<p>"You're not ready for this yet." It was almost as if the man were talking to himself, pacing at the edge of her bed. "I see that now." He stopped suddenly, his voice taking on the edge of a growl. "But one day, you will be. And I'll be there. I'll always be there."</p>
<p>It felt like fingers over her mouth at first, but it was too soft. Becky pushed at it with both hands, kicking out as much as she could even when she banged her knees on the bed's safety rails, but it felt like fighting smoke. <i>Why aren't I dying?</i> The thought was nebulous, almost impossible to keep at the front of her mind for long, but it made her think about what she <i>was</i> feeling. Rather than everything going dark and cold, light was blossoming everywhere—almost painfully. Instead of the stillness of her room, she heard a symphony of sounds: the crinkle of old lace, the clack of a bird's beak, the rasp of matted fur. Darkness was swept aside like so much dust, freeing old memories—good ones, cherished ones—to resurface. It was so close to euphoria it hurt; it was almost too much to bear.</p>
<p>Then the light dimmed, but only a bit. She was still suffused with happiness—giddiness, really—but it wasn't overwhelming anymore. Everything had a subtle sheen to it now, as if her vision had finally cleared, and her nerves were buzzing from head to toe. </p>
<p>"Sweet dreams, Rebecca." The man's voice held remorse and resolve in equal measure, making it muted and heavy as he bent to kiss her temple. </p>
<p>As the brightness poured in again, warm and welcoming, he stepped aside, something soft and furry dangling from his hands as he watched Becky sink into sleep. Once she was dreaming, he went back into the hall, casting nightmares in his wake.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Breakfast without Becky was strange enough, especially when the scent of toast was in the air. Having Charlotte in the house without Becky was even weirder, but she had done her best to settle in. Kevin had been rather baffled by the fact that Becky hadn't come home, yet another woman had, but a few long walks and a ridiculous amount of dog treats had mollified him somewhat. When a familiar tone sounded from Seth's phone, however, Kevin stood at attention, ears pricked up. </p>
<p>Charlotte laughed at the sight. "Your dog knows all your notification tones? Rollins, that's a sign that you spend too much time texting."</p>
<p>Seth couldn't think of a reply for a moment, mostly because he was still trying to figure out where the sound came from. There was the obvious answer—his phone—but the sound had been the notification tone that was set to alert him whenever Becky posted to social media . . . and she didn't have her phone or tablet with her at the hospital. Before he could open up Twitter or Instagram, though, his phone rang; the number on the screen was registered to the hospital. "Hello?"</p>
<p>"Hello. This is Doctor Kristof. Is this Mr. Lopez?"</p>
<p>It took Seth a moment to catch up. "Yes. Yes, sorry. Speaking. How's Becky doing?"</p>
<p>"Very well." Even the doctor sounded somewhat surprised. "Her pupillary response is back to normal. Her heart rate is normal. She's lucid and calm. We'd like to redo some of the tests," the doctor added, "some today and some in the coming weeks, but I don't foresee any permanent damage."</p>
<p>"Thank fuck." Seth apologized instinctively and shut his eyes. "Sorry. I just . . . Can we come see her?"</p>
<p>"Of course. She's been awake for around an hour now and she just had some blood drawn, so she's just about to have breakfast." Then the doctor chuckled. "I think she would appreciate a coffee, if the nurses' notes on her chart are any indication."</p>
<p>Seth looked around at his kitchen and automatically dismissed all the dishes; those could be done later. As long as the food was in the fridge or at least out of Kevin's reach, he was happy to leave the house looking like a mess. "I can do that. We'll be there as soon as we can. Thank you."</p>
<p>Charlotte was already standing before Seth ended the call. "She's okay?" She was barefoot and still wearing pyjamas, but she looked like she was ready to grab the keys and drive to the hospital herself if Seth didn't hurry.</p>
<p>"Yeah. The doctor said they want to do more tests," Seth added, shoving things back in the fridge at random, "but he's hopeful. I know we've been told that before, but—"</p>
<p>"Hope's better than nothing." While Seth put away the food items, Charlotte put all the dirty plates and utensils in the sink. "I can be ready in five minutes," she declared. "Screw make-up."</p>
<p>Chuckling, Seth shook his head. "Becks asked for a coffee, so I'll phone in her order. Have a quick shower if you want. It sounds like she was just about to have breakfast, so this way we won't distract her while she's eating. Let's leave in about twenty."</p>
<p>It was incredibly difficult to not just ump in the car and drive right to the hospital; Seth couldn't think of anything he wanted more in that moment than to see Becky being herself again—no more lapses or incidents, no more worrying or obsessing over precautions. But if she was calm, he needed to be too: if his excitement was the thing that made her regress, he would never forgive himself. So after he called in an order for her favourite coffee—and a few treats—he took a quick but thorough shower and got dressed. Then he made sure Kevin had enough food and water for most of the day—<i>Just in case</i>, he thought—and double-checked that everything was shut off in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Charlotte almost collided with the doorway in her haste. "Are we going? Did you order her coffee yet? Come on! Let's go!" Compared to how elaborate her in-ring appearance was, she looked almost plain, and it startled Seth for a moment. "Rollins!"</p>
<p>"Yeah, we're going." Seth glanced down at his phone. Ideally, it would have more power, but it would have to do. Grabbing his keys, he started looking for his shoes. "I ordered you a coffee too. Same as Becky's; I wasn't sure what your favourite was."</p>
<p>"That'll do." Charlotte cursed as she tried to ram her feet into her shoes until she realized they were a pair of Becky's. "Shit, Flair. Get it together." She took a moment to laugh at herself before finding her own shoes. "I'll calm down. I promise. I just . . . I can't wait to have her back."</p>
<p>Seth shot her a nervous smile. "I get it." In that moment, Charlotte was both the best person to have at his side and the worst. They both adored Becky, but they were also desperate for the slightest scrap of good news. <i>Hope and perspective,</i> Seth thought to himself as he motioned for Charlotte to step out so he could set the alarm. Roman had told him those would the two elements that would get him through: hope to keep his spirits up and perspective to realize that the bad times couldn't last forever, even when they felt endless. "I won't be long at the cafe. I'll tell them I can't chat."</p>
<p>Something must have shown in his face, because when Seth went into the cafe to pick up his order, the barista didn't even try to start small talk; she just waved and wished him a good day before returning to the order counter. "Gimme," Charlotte demanded, lowering her window the instant he stepped out of the cafe. She held out her hands impatiently for the drink tray. </p>
<p>Smiling, Seth obliged. Shaving a few seconds off their time here and there wouldn't make much of a difference, but he wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible too. "Can you check Twitter and Instagram?" He just remembered the notification he'd heard before the doctor called. "It sounded like Becky posted, but she doesn't have her phone, so that can't be right."</p>
<p>Charlotte chuckled as she scrolled through her feeds. "Don't put it past her, Rollins. She probably charmed the nurse with some Irish pub story and borrowed someone's phone. Hm. Nothing on Twitter." She swiped her screen a few more times. "It's Instagram. Of course." When Seth was stopped at a red light, she tilted her phone towards him.</p>
<p><i>Think they'll notice if I put this in my IV?</i> read the caption under a photo of a hand—Becky's as far as Seth could tell—with an IV tube sticking out of it, holding a cup of coffee. It wasn't even the sludge they sold in the vending machines, so Charlotte must have been right: Becky had clearly won someone over and got both a decent coffee and phone access. "Of course." Seth was smiling, though, and he felt some of the tension in his shoulders drain away.</p>
<p>Though they were both as eager as kids on Christmas morning, Seth and Charlotte didn't rush. Seth parked properly and made sure the car was locked; Charlotte balanced the tray of drinks carefully, even remembering to sip at her own before it got cold. It was only when they got off the elevator at Becky's floor that they started to fidget; once they were past the nurses' station, they hurried to Becky's room. "Coffee!" she exclaimed with a smile, holding out both hands and making her IV tube stretch.</p>
<p>"Coffee," Seth repeated, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "Not <i>My husband!</i> or <i>My best friend!</i>." While Charlotte set the drinks down, Seth leaned in to hug Becky. She was surprisingly warm, but it was the brightness in her eyes that gave him the most hope.</p>
<p>"You don't get to put labels on my relationship with coffee," Becky replied, burying her face in his shoulder. "There's a chapel in the hospital, you know. Maybe we got married after you left."</p>
<p>Charlotte snuck in and hugged Becky from the side. "And who caught the bouquet? The oranges?"</p>
<p>Someone had already brought in visitor chairs and Seth pulled them closer to the bed, resisting the urge to curl up beside Becky. "Dr. Kristof called and said you were doing really well. How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>Becky reached for her fresh coffee and cradled it between her hands. "Good. Better. It's like—" She opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to find the words she wanted. "Everything feels clearer now," she said at last. "And the doctor said that some of the tests wouldn't be redone for a week or more, so does that mean I'm getting out of doctor jail today?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," Seth replied honestly. He hadn't thought to ask the doctor when they were talking on the phone; he'd been too full of hope and happiness to give much room to logic. "We'll have to see. They might want to keep you another night for observation." He smoothed some hair out of Becky's face as Charlotte handed over his coffee. "Did you sleep okay?"</p>
<p>Becky's eyes darkened a bit and Seth almost regretted asking, but then she perked up again, breathing in the steam from her coffee. "I remember waking up because it was really bright; maybe a search helicopter went past?" Then she shrugged and sipped at her coffee, shutting her eyes blissfully. "After that, I slept all the way through until a nurse woke me up."</p>
<p>"And then you convinced someone to let you use their phone," Charlotte quipped.</p>
<p>"Phone! Did you bring mine?" Becky's eyes were almost frantically bright.</p>
<p>Seth shook his phone. "It's at home. You can take a social media break for another day." He leaned over and kissed her hand. "How's your coffee?"</p>
<p>"Amazing. It tastes like home." Becky held her cup tighter. "Thank you." </p>
<p>The minutes that followed were so blessedly normal that Seth was almost able to forget that they were in a hospital, that an IV was still inserted in Becky's arm and machines were still monitoring her pulse and oxygen levels. She laughed, she made jokes, she drank her coffee with gusto; when she asked what Charlotte was doing in Chicago, she was practically glowing with eagerness and Seth almost dreaded telling her they should stay close to home depending on what the doctor said. About an hour later, a nurse arrived to check Becky's status, but she seemed pleased and said the doctor would be by in about fifteen minutes to discuss her condition. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" the nurse asked, eyeing the collection of empty coffee cups. "How many coffees have you had this morning?"</p>
<p>"Never enough." Becky still scooted to the edge of the bed, though. "Do I have slippers?" </p>
<p>"Right here." Charlotte found a pair of generic slippers by the bed and slipped them on Becky's feet, then helped her friend off the bed. "I'll go with her, just like old times in the locker room." Nodding, the nurse removed everything but Becky's IV before she left. As she steadied Becky's IV stand, Charlotte winked at Seth and laughed. "You know, girl talk."</p>
<p>"Right." Seth stayed seated, ready to help if needed, but he frowned when he noticed a mark on Becky's face. "Charlotte, what's that by her eyebrow?" He hadn't noticed the redness before, even when he had hugged her and kissed her and marvelled at the new-found clarity in her eyes. </p>
<p>Charlotte stopped Becky gently and tilted her face towards the window. "Looks like a little scar. I don't remember you having that, Becks." She traced the crescent-shaped mark, like the shadow of a smile or a kiss, with her thumb. "Do you remember what happened?"</p>
<p>Shrugging, Becky raised her hand and felt the area Charlotte had been assessing. "I don't know. Maybe I scratched myself on the IV when I woke up during the night?" she guessed.</p>
<p>"It's probably nothing." Charlotte met Seth's gaze calmly. If a tiny scar was the price to pay for Becky returning back to normal, they were lucky. "That'll heal up in no time. Come on, Becks." She gently herded her friend towards the bathroom.</p>
<p>Seth and Charlotte had both been so focussed on the strange mark on Becky's temple that they didn't notice the pale grey tufts of fur that fell from her hospital gown to the floor, whirling away in her wake like dust—or ash.</p>
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